The exhibit includes giant work by Chris LaPorte, winner of ArtPrize's $250,000 top award.

An opening reception will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery in Owen Hall. The events are free.

Hauptman, who works only in charcoal and pastels, is known for striking self-portraits and still-life drawings displaying technical mastery.

As juror for this exhibition, Hauptman selected 33 works from among more than 1,000 entries submitted by 369 artists.

Hauptman's work was previously featured in solo shows at the Forum Gallery in Los Angeles and the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, and is part of permanent collections in the National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums. She has received numerous grants, including two from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Adolph and Esther Gottleib Foundation and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Among the works selected by Hauptman for this exhibit is the 23.5-foot wide "City Band" by Chris LaPorte, who uses pencil to create stunning detail and who won the $250,000 top award in ArtPrize's 2010 competition for an earlier drawing.

The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 5. Call 828-251-6559 for more information.

TRYON

Renowned cellist to perform Feb. 7

The Tryon Concert Association will host Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan in the third concert of its season at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave.

The young "seasoned phenom," as described by the Washington Post, was the gold-medal winner at the 2011 XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition for best performance of a Chamber concerto. He was also the first-prize winner in the 2008 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which led to his debut at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Mentored by the late Mstislav Rostropovich, Hakhnazaryan has toured throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

EMEFE, featuring members of Antibalas, and The Brand New Life will bring its afro-beat sounds to the Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., at 9 p.m. Jan. 25.

EMEFE is a 10-piece afro-beat/funk band from New York City with one intention: to play music that frees everybody in the audience, everybody listening at home and everybody in the band. The band was created by drummer Miles Arntzen in 2009 to explore and share the afrobeat music pioneered in the 1970s and '80s by Fela Anikulapo Kuti and carried on today by Antibalas. EMEFE draws heavy influence from the funk music of Sly Stone, James Brown and Earth Wind and Fire, as well as hip hop and neo-soul influences.

Mixed with a rock 'n' roll edge, the powerful and exciting EMEFE sound never fails to get audiences jumping. EMEFE hopes to spread awareness of the healing power of music, dancing and smiling, which explains their reputation as one of the most exciting and engaging bands in New York City. EMEFE consists of a drummer, a bassist, two guitarists, a keyboardist, two percussionists and a four-piece horn section.

Sharing the night's festivities with EMEFE at Asheville Music Hall is The Brand New Life, an eight piece "Afrobeat/Free Jazz" group from North Carolina.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The concert is for audiences ages 21 and older. Call 828-255-777 or visit www.asheville musichall.com for more information.

Asheville

Absurdist comedy ‘Rubble' at ACT

Mike Reiss, Emmy-award winning writer and producer of "The Simpsons," will bring his new comedy "Rubble" to Asheville Community Theatre Mainstage at 35 E. Walnut St. at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26.

"Rubble" is an absurdist comedy that follows the journey of a middle-aged TV writer as he has a near-death experience in Hollywood — in more ways than one! It's a laugh-out-loud commentary on the state of entertainment today.

Local favorite actors Willie Repoley and Ralph Redpath, both regulars at N.C. Stage and Flat Rock Playhouse, will be joined in performance by Ken Keeler, former writer for "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," who will play the role of the middle-age TV writer. "I guess this is method acting," Keeler says.

New Umbrella Artistic Director Elisabeth Gray will round out the cast, playing all of the female roles — ranging from a bossy studio exec to a French bimbo. Gray will make her Broadway debut this spring in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," while performing her one-woman show "Southern (dis) Comfort" off-Broadway, which originated at ACT. The comedy reading will be followed by a question-and-answer session with celebrated TV writers who have all left Hollywood and made Asheville home.

The event is free, but reservations are required. Call 828-254-1320 or email RSVP@newumbrella.org for more information.

Asheville

Players to host variety show fundraiser Jan. 26

The Montford Park Players will host a variety show party at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Club Metropolis, 38 N. French Broad Ave., Asheville.

See the best scenes from every play of the 2012 season, plus "The Gravedigger's Comic Stand-Up," "Falstaff's Dance Party," "Epic Shakespearean Rap Battles," a codpiece fashion show and more. The Players are also auctioning a variety of experiences, such as the opportunity to be killed onstage, to support the upcoming building campaign. One night only.

The Montford Park Players are preparing to make huge changes to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, including re-terracing the seating, adding a lighted handicapped-accessible path, filling the pit, renovating the stage, and constructing a concession stand and welcome center. Half of the money for this project has come from the Tourism Authority, but they still need to raise the second half. The variety show is just one of the many fundraisers the Players will be holding this year.

Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door, or by calling 828-254-5146, also visit montfordpark players.org for more information.

The musical journey begins in England with Britten's "Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell" (Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34), which offers a short, funny, yet profound exploration of all orchestral forces. The next stop takes concert-goers to the streets of Edwardian London, portrayed by Elgar's "Cockaigne, Op. 40 (In London Town)." The evening's voyage ends in the mysterious realm of the Finnish forests, described by Sibelius in his Symphony No. 1.

For concert-goers seated in the upper balcony section of the hall, the GSO will offer its "Active Listening" program featuring MP3 players available for checkout from ushers.

Active Listening, a program underwritten by Ronald McDonald Charities, is designed to guide newcomers to the symphony with program information, concert etiquette guidelines and background information about the GSO through the utilization of modern technology. Active Listening is free to participants, and reservations aren't necessary.

In addition to Active Listening, speaker Paul Hyde will lead a free pre-concert talk one hour before both the Saturday and Sunday concerts for those who would like to learn more about the concert program.

Both pre-concert talks will be held in the Founder's Room above Larkin's on the River. These talks are free.

Tickets to the concert range from $15 to $49 and can be purchased through The Peace Center Box Office at 864-467-3000 or 800-888-7768. Visit www.peacecenter.org for more information.

<p>Asheville</p><p>UNCA hosting juried exhibit, lecture</p><p>UNC Asheville's Art Department opens "Drawing Discourse," the university's fourth annual national juried exhibition of contemporary drawing, with a lecture by juror Susan Hauptman at 5 p.m. today in Lipinsky Auditorium on the campus.</p><p>The exhibit includes giant work by Chris LaPorte, winner of ArtPrize's $250,000 top award.</p><p>An opening reception will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery in Owen Hall. The events are free.</p><p>Hauptman, who works only in charcoal and pastels, is known for striking self-portraits and still-life drawings displaying technical mastery. </p><p>As juror for this exhibition, Hauptman selected 33 works from among more than 1,000 entries submitted by 369 artists. </p><p>Hauptman's work was previously featured in solo shows at the Forum Gallery in Los Angeles and the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, and is part of permanent collections in the National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums. She has received numerous grants, including two from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Adolph and Esther Gottleib Foundation and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.</p><p>Among the works selected by Hauptman for this exhibit is the 23.5-foot wide "City Band" by Chris LaPorte, who uses pencil to create stunning detail and who won the $250,000 top award in ArtPrize's 2010 competition for an earlier drawing.</p><p>Also selected for this exhibit are works by Timur (Isaack) Azaev, Therese Bauer, Elisa Berry, Brandon Briggs, Sue Bryan, Dennis Carrie, Antonio Coro, Meghan Flynn, Scott Hunt, Sharon Knettell, Barbara Mehlman, Ed Nadeau, Aaron Pennington, Margaret Reneke, Shaun Roberts, Janveir Rollande, Kay Ruane, Joan Ryan, Pete Schulte, David Schurbutt, Randy Simmons, Brian Simpson, David Stanger, Robert Stickloon, D. Dargan Teska, Cara Walz, Peter J. Warburton and Jennifer Wroblewski.</p><p>The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 5. Call 828-251-6559 for more information.</p><p>TRYON</p><p>Renowned cellist to perform Feb. 7</p><p>The Tryon Concert Association will host Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan in the third concert of its season at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave.</p><p>The young "seasoned phenom," as described by the Washington Post, was the gold-medal winner at the 2011 XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition for best performance of a Chamber concerto. He was also the first-prize winner in the 2008 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which led to his debut at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Mentored by the late Mstislav Rostropovich, Hakhnazaryan has toured throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. </p><p>The concert series is by subscription. Call 828-859-6065, write Tryon Concert Association, P.O. Box 32, Tryon, NC 28782 or visit tryonconcerts.com for more information.</p><p>ASHEVILLE</p><p>EMEFE at Music Hall on Jan. 25</p><p>EMEFE, featuring members of Antibalas, and The Brand New Life will bring its afro-beat sounds to the Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., at 9 p.m. Jan. 25. </p><p>EMEFE is a 10-piece afro-beat/funk band from New York City with one intention: to play music that frees everybody in the audience, everybody listening at home and everybody in the band. The band was created by drummer Miles Arntzen in 2009 to explore and share the afrobeat music pioneered in the 1970s and '80s by Fela Anikulapo Kuti and carried on today by Antibalas. EMEFE draws heavy influence from the funk music of Sly Stone, James Brown and Earth Wind and Fire, as well as hip hop and neo-soul influences. </p><p>Mixed with a rock 'n' roll edge, the powerful and exciting EMEFE sound never fails to get audiences jumping. EMEFE hopes to spread awareness of the healing power of music, dancing and smiling, which explains their reputation as one of the most exciting and engaging bands in New York City. EMEFE consists of a drummer, a bassist, two guitarists, a keyboardist, two percussionists and a four-piece horn section.</p><p>Sharing the night's festivities with EMEFE at Asheville Music Hall is The Brand New Life, an eight piece "Afrobeat/Free Jazz" group from North Carolina. </p><p>Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The concert is for audiences ages 21 and older. Call 828-255-777 or visit www.asheville musichall.com for more information.</p><p>Asheville</p><p>Absurdist comedy 'Rubble' at ACT</p><p>Mike Reiss, Emmy-award winning writer and producer of "The Simpsons," will bring his new comedy "Rubble" to Asheville Community Theatre Mainstage at 35 E. Walnut St. at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26.</p><p>"Rubble" is an absurdist comedy that follows the journey of a middle-aged TV writer as he has a near-death experience in Hollywood — in more ways than one! It's a laugh-out-loud commentary on the state of entertainment today.</p><p>Local favorite actors Willie Repoley and Ralph Redpath, both regulars at N.C. Stage and Flat Rock Playhouse, will be joined in performance by Ken Keeler, former writer for "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," who will play the role of the middle-age TV writer. "I guess this is method acting," Keeler says.</p><p>New Umbrella Artistic Director Elisabeth Gray will round out the cast, playing all of the female roles — ranging from a bossy studio exec to a French bimbo. Gray will make her Broadway debut this spring in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," while performing her one-woman show "Southern (dis) Comfort" off-Broadway, which originated at ACT. The comedy reading will be followed by a question-and-answer session with celebrated TV writers who have all left Hollywood and made Asheville home. </p><p>The event is free, but reservations are required. Call 828-254-1320 or email RSVP@newumbrella.org for more information.</p><p>Asheville</p><p>Players to host variety show fundraiser Jan. 26</p><p>The Montford Park Players will host a variety show party at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Club Metropolis, 38 N. French Broad Ave., Asheville. </p><p>See the best scenes from every play of the 2012 season, plus "The Gravedigger's Comic Stand-Up," "Falstaff's Dance Party," "Epic Shakespearean Rap Battles," a codpiece fashion show and more. The Players are also auctioning a variety of experiences, such as the opportunity to be killed onstage, to support the upcoming building campaign. One night only.</p><p>The Montford Park Players are preparing to make huge changes to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, including re-terracing the seating, adding a lighted handicapped-accessible path, filling the pit, renovating the stage, and constructing a concession stand and welcome center. Half of the money for this project has come from the Tourism Authority, but they still need to raise the second half. The variety show is just one of the many fundraisers the Players will be holding this year.</p><p>Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door, or by calling 828-254-5146, also visit montfordpark players.org for more information.</p><p>GREENVILLE, S.C.</p><p>Greenville Symphony in concert Jan. 26-27</p><p>Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel will conduct the "Northern Voyages" concert by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 and 3 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Peace Center, 300 S. Main St., Greenville. </p><p>The musical journey begins in England with Britten's "Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell" (Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34), which offers a short, funny, yet profound exploration of all orchestral forces. The next stop takes concert-goers to the streets of Edwardian London, portrayed by Elgar's "Cockaigne, Op. 40 (In London Town)." The evening's voyage ends in the mysterious realm of the Finnish forests, described by Sibelius in his Symphony No. 1.</p><p>For concert-goers seated in the upper balcony section of the hall, the GSO will offer its "Active Listening" program featuring MP3 players available for checkout from ushers. </p><p>Active Listening, a program underwritten by Ronald McDonald Charities, is designed to guide newcomers to the symphony with program information, concert etiquette guidelines and background information about the GSO through the utilization of modern technology. Active Listening is free to participants, and reservations aren't necessary.</p><p>In addition to Active Listening, speaker Paul Hyde will lead a free pre-concert talk one hour before both the Saturday and Sunday concerts for those who would like to learn more about the concert program. </p><p>Both pre-concert talks will be held in the Founder's Room above Larkin's on the River. These talks are free.</p><p>Tickets to the concert range from $15 to $49 and can be purchased through The Peace Center Box Office at 864-467-3000 or 800-888-7768. Visit www.peacecenter.org for more information.</p><p>From staff reports</p>